The Orange Julius snack stands were a favorite of me and my crowd when we were students. Here is a version made with vanilla whey protein powder that makes an excellent mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack for the dysphagia patient, or anyone with swallowing or chewing difficulties. 

Ingredients

• 2 oranges juiced, navels are good juicing oranges
• 1 frozen banana broken into pieces
• 1 cup of vanilla almond milk
• 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract
• 1 scoop of whey vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup of ice
• 1 envelope of Simply Thick thickener or any of the other gum thickeners discussed in our thickening section. Use according to directions for your level of the NDD, National Dysphagia Diet.

For the Puree

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, pulse a few times to break up the banana, and blend.

Tip: If you use supplements, as I did for my mother, namely liquid vitamins and liquid colloidal minerals, add them to the snack. I usually added one supplement at a time, vitamins in the morning, minerals in the afternoon, for ease of absorption. As one of our healthcare providers, Dr. Bachle at the Wound Care Center, told me: often the elderly are lacking in minerals. As minerals are a huge component in skin, this is very important.

My mother got tired of taking the vitamins in pill form. She already took enough pills. Dr. Bachle recommended the liquid form of the vitamins. I bought them at the whole foods store. My mother liked the ones with the mango flavor. Once I bought a different brand and she didn’t like the taste. Flavor is the secret to Essential Puree.

Swirl Away! 

Photo Credit: shutterbean via Compfight cc